This invention relates to a leader for use in the processing of continuous business forms.
At present, business forms of many varied types which are manufactured in long continuous strips are being processed in computerized operations wherein much more rapid and accurate processing of such forms is achieved by modern day computers. Most commonly, such processing includes the printing of information on individual form lengths of a continuous business forms assembly such as by a high-speed printer which is normally operated by a computer. In initiating such operations, the endmost form length of a continuous assembly of business forms is normally manually introduced into the printer and manipulated until such time as the printing keys of the printer are oriented properly with respect to the particular areas of the form length on which the information is to be inscribed. Once the proper orientation has been attained, the processing operation is initiated and requires little or no manual attention until the operation is terminated. As is well known, the inscribed information can be applied to successive forms with extreme speed and accuracy by such data processing equipment.
One inherent difficulty in initiating such inscribing process occurs when the endmost form of the continuous forms strip or assembly is rendered useless by the manual aligning process. Frequently during attainment of proper alignment the printer may be manually advanced to determine whether precise alignment has been achieved. Obviously where proper alignment is not achieved, the inscribed information is improperly aligned on the form rendering the same nonusable.
In many types of data processing operations, the loss of the endmost form is no problem as the individual first form length may simply be discarded if found to be unusable. However, in certain types of data processing, it is very undesirable to discard the endmost unusable form length without causing additional bookkeeping effort such as where the form lengths are consecutively numbered or serially indexed.
As is well known in the trade, many stock and bond transfers are processed by computers and certificates indicating ownership are issued after being imprinted by a printer operated by a computer. As is common practice, such certificates are manufactured in continuous form with each certificate constituting an individual form length of a continuous business forms assembly with each individual form length being prenumbered or serialized. If an individual form length must be discarded, additional bookkeeping is required to indicate that a certificate bearing a prescribed number has been voided and not used. In such situations, normal methods of manually aligning the endmost individual form of a continuous forms assembly in a printer are unsatisfactory due to such increased bookkeeping operations.
In addition, many modern day computer printers now have feeding mechanisms for the continuous forms assemblies at the exit from the printer rather than at the entrance. In such case the forms are pulled rather than pushed through the printer and require that a continuous forms leader be applicable to both types of printers whether the feeding mechanisms be located at either the entrance or exit areas. The forms leader must positively retain the endmost form and frictional engagement alone will normally not suffice where the forms assembly must be pulled through the printer.